Jade Tower Scholar
Also called simply a "scholar," a member of this prestige class is a spellcaster who belongs to the Antiquity Scholars, an offshoot of the school at Sendrellar that is based out of the magnificent Jade Tower in Silverus. The Antiquity Scholars can trace their history back to the earliest days of the Eastern Duchies, shortly after the Culling. The first dukes of what would eventually become known as the Ivory Coast of Lados believed that progress could only take place with secure knowledge of the past, in order to avoid the mistakes therein. They petitioned Absulcon to send a selection of his finest scholars and historians to establish this august group. The dukes entrusted them with maintaining and preserving the lineages and stories of the people in the duchies. With the defeat of the remaining forces of the Enemy and the subsequent consolidation of the various city-states that now make up the Ivory Coast, the Antiquity Scholars became a cornerstone of local culture. The organization was eventually freed from the governments that spawned it and became an autonomous body. In the present day, the Scholars are powerful and widespread, and can now support research into subjects other than the history of the continent. Their research has led them to discover innovative methods for the manipulation of arcane energies. The Antiquity Scholars' present day charter is twofold. The group's first objective is advancing magical knowledge through both ongoing research and archeological investigation of lost arcane disciplines of history. A good portion of research is centered around elucidating a "magical grammar" of the great power wielded in ages past. The second tenet is the support and welfare of the Scholars' membership, initially through arcane schooling and later through companionship, resources, boarding, and access to the Spellpool (see below). Although non-mages can benefit somewhat from what the Antiquity Scholars has to offer, its emphasis on magery deters most applicants. In fact, the Scholars boast almost no sorcerers, bards, or other characters with significant talent as spontaneous casters. Requirements To qualify to become a Jade Tower scholar, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria. Skill: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks. Feats: Aid Spellcasting and any one metamagic feat. Spells: Able to prepare and cast 2nd level arcane spells. Special: Membership Application: Prospective members must pay an initiation fee of 750 gp in person at the Jade Tower. Game Rule Information Hit Die: d4. Class Skills: The following are the class skills (and the key ability for each) for the Jade Tower scholar prestige class: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). : Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier. Table: The Jade Tower Scholar Class Features The following are the class features of the Jade Tower scholar class: Weapon and Armor Proficiencies Scholars gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor. Spells per Day/Spells Known At each level, a scholar gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit that a character of that class would have gained (such as the bonus feat sometimes gained by a mage). If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a scholar, he must decide to which class to add each level to for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known. Membership A 'member' level scholar pays monetary dues and accepts various duties in return for member benefits. The dues are 30 gp per month. Duties include putting in an appearance in the Jade Tower at least once every six months and accepting any special commissions handed down by senior members. A scholar who falls into arrears on his dues by more than three months has his membership revoked and loses access to the Spellpool. Reinstating membership is difficult. However, ex-members do not lose any spells or metamagic feats they had gained while in good standing. A member in good standing can board at the Jade Tower between adventures, paying only 5 sp per day for common-quality meals and lodging. At his leisure, he can browse the Tower's well-respected library, which is stocked with tomes on both mundane and arcane lore (though no spellbooks are kept here). Likewise, he can use the Tower's common laboratory facilities when creating magic items (although material costs remain out-of-pocket). Furthermore, he is free to read and post notices to the "job board," a mundane medium whereby fellow members of the Scholars pass information, advertise their interest in a research topic or adventure, or attempt to sell an interesting oddity, magical or otherwise. Last but not least, members form professional ties with their fellow scholars, possibly leading to lasting friendships or alliances. Spellpool (Su) A magical reservoir of spell energy is bound into a special matrix in a guarded vault on a sublevel of the Jade Tower. Using his Antiquity Scholars focus, a scholar can "call" spells from this common resource as needed. New members of the scholars receive a special focus (a trinket chosen by the spellcaster, such as a ring, brooch, scarf, or other portable item) at the time of their initiation. The focus allows access to the Spellpool and works only for its owner. If a scholar loses his focus, he must undergo another initiation. Calling a Spell Calling a spell from the Spellpool can be done at any distance but requires the scholar to have an open, unused spell slot of the appropriate level. Mages preparing spells for the day decide at that time whether to leave some spell slots open. A spellcaster can call only for a spell of a level that he could normally cast. He can call a number of spells per day whose total levels are equal to or less than half his caster level (round down, minimum 1). For example, Turial Edemont, a 5th level mage/4th level scholar can call one 4th level spell per day, two 2nd-level spells per day, or any other combination of spells whose levels do not exceeed four, assuming he has slots available and his Spellpool debt isn't too high (see below). When a caster calls a spell, he takes a full-round action to concentrate on his focus (which provokes attacks of opportunity). The spell appears in the caster's mind at the beginning of his next turn and can be used immediately. However, if he does not cast the called spell within a number of minutes equal to his caster level, it fades from his mind as though cast. A mage cannot learn a called spell, despite its temporary presence in his consciousness, though of course he could later attempt to learn the spell through standard means. 'Spell Availability' Three stages of access to the Spellpool exist. A member first joining the Scholars gains Spellpool I privileges, which grants access to spells of 1st to 3rd level. Spellpool II allows access to 4th to 6th level spells, and Spellpool III grants access to 7th to 9th level spells. No 0-level spells are available, but the Spellpool can provide any other spell on the mage/sorcerer spell list. 'Spellpool Debt' Every time a spellcaster calls a spell, he incurs a debt. He must return an "energy packet" to the Spellpool: a spell he has prepared of a level equal to that of the called spell, or a number of spells whose combined levels equal the level of the called spell. Returning a spell is a full-round action, like calling a spell, and depletes a prepared spell slot as if the spell had been cast. The debt must be repaid within a number of days equal to the character's scholar class level; otherwise the scholar's access to the Spellpool is automatically suspended. Once the debt is repaid, a suspended caster immediately regains access to the Spellpool - except that a failure to pay off a debt within one year results in a spellcaster's expulsion from the Antiquity Scholars. A scholar can't run a "positive balance" with the Spellpool, paying off a debt before incurring it. 'Studies' In their studies, scholars stumble upon all sorts of applicable knowledge and secrets. At 1st level and every two levels higher than 1st, the scholar chooses one ability from the Table: Scholar Secrets. The maximum complexity of secret that a scholar can gain is determined by his scholar level plus his Intelligence modifier. He can choose any secret equal to or less than this number. He cannot choose the same secret twice unless otherwise specified. 'Free Metamagic Feat' At 2nd level and again at 9th level, a scholar gains sudden insight from studying the reconstructed texts of ancient magical grimoires. He gains a metamagic feat of his choice as a bonus feat. He must still meet the prerequisites of the feat. 'Lore' Scholars gather knowledge. At 2nd level, a scholar gains the ability to know legends or information regarding various topics. The scholar may make a special lore check with a bonus equal to his scholar level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. If the scholar has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history or ancient history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check. 'Bonus Language' At 3rd level and again at 6th level, a scholar's access to the Tower's superb library and resources allows him to learn a new language. 'New Spell' When a scholar reaches 5th level, and again at 8th level, a fellow scholar allows the character to copy a spell from his or her spellbook (chosen by the player, subject to the DM's approval). The spell must be arcane in origin, but does not necessarily need to come from the mage/sorcerer spell list. He does not need to make a Spellcraft check to copy the spell into his own spellbook, although specialist mages still cannot learn spells from prohibited colors. Spellcasters who do not use spellbooks gain no benefit from this ability. 'Greater Lore (Ex)' At 6th level, the scholar gains the ability to understand magical items. He may use the identify spell as a spell-like ability at will. 'Councilman' A 10th level scholar is awarded the status of Councilman and a seat on the Scholar's Council. A councilman gains a +2 competence bonus on all Charisma-based interaction checks when dealing with lower level members of the Antiquity Scholars. The councilmen set the Scholars' rules and policies, meeting each month in the Council Chambers within the Jade Tower. A councilman must attend six council meetings in one year or be removed from the council and lose his councilman status (he loses no other benefits of membership, nor does he lose his level in the prestige class). Enacting new policies or eradicating old ones requires a three-fifths majority to pass. Generally, the council hands out commissions for lower level scholars to perform on behalf of the Tower. An individual councilman might also head up a special group of lower level members to accomplish a specific goal, such as investigating a crime committed using magic, undertaking an archeological dig of an ancient site of arcana, or some other important task. 'True Lore (Ex)' At 10th level, the scholar may use his knowldge to an even greater extent. He may cast the legend lore and analyze dweomer spells as spell-like abilities at will. He must still pay any cost for materials or focuses required. Table: Scholar Secrets Category:Prestige Classes